DeBesse rides emotions, 11-0 record, into FCS playoffs

Southwest Texas State graduate Bob DeBesse got his start in college coaching 30 years ago when he worked as a student assistant for two years under Jim Wacker, an eternal optimist.

Living the good life as a young man in San Marcos, DeBesse was a wide-eyed former player who assisted in 1981 and 1982 as Wacker led the Bobcats to back-to-back NCAA Division II national titles.

A man who has endured his share of pain and misfortune over the past decade in coaching, DeBesse has discovered that winning feeling again at Sam Houston State.

“Obviously, I’m real thankful to be where I am,” he said in a telephone interview. “To be my age (52) and doing this for as long as I have, you get real appreciation for just how difficult it is to win — at any level.”

In his second year as Sam Houston’s offensive coordinator, the Bearkats have surged to No. 1 in the nation in the Football Championship Subdivision.

After earning a bye in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Sam Houston (11-0) will open the postseason against the Stony Brook (N.Y.) Seawolves (9-3) on Saturday in Huntsville.

The Bearkats were elevated to the No. 1 seeding in the playoffs when they pounded the Bobcats 36-14 two weeks ago in San Marcos.

After the game, Sam Houston coach Willie Fritz called DeBesse “one of the best” offensive coordinators in the nation.

“He took over a unit a few years ago that almost had zero production, and now we’re leading the nation in scoring,” Fritz said.

After a week off, the Bearkats have fallen to No. 2 in scoring, at 39.45 points per game.

But DeBesse doesn’t care. As long as the Bearkats remain undefeated, he will feel good inside.

“To have an opportunity to be a part of an undefeated regular season is something I obviously take a tremendous amount of pride in,” DeBesse said. “I told some folks after the Texas State game, the thing that makes you the most proud and the happiest is to see the players celebrating — all the hugs and high fives.”

Emotions surged for DeBesse that day because of the location of the victory — Jim Wacker Field, at Bobcat Stadium.

By the train tracks. In San Marcos. At his alma mater. There, he learned to play and took some baby steps in coaching. There, he also spent six mostly disappointing seasons as head coach, from 1997-02, before he was reassigned.

A few years later, another job also ended badly. In 2007, Dennis Franchione was fired as head coach at Texas A&M. DeBesse, after two years on the staff as a receivers coach, was swept out in the purge.

His last game for the Aggies? It was in San Antonio at the Alamodome when Penn State beat Texas A&M at the Alamo Bowl.

“You say ups and downs?” DeBesse asked. “Well, I’ve had my ups but I’ve certainly had some downs, as well. So, to be a part of this, it’s something that you’ll look back on years from now and enjoy it more. Right now, we’re still in the grind. But we certainly have tried to enjoy the ride so far.”